From Ayinla to Tinubu: Adedimeji becomes Nollywood’s King of Biopics
Since breaking into the acting scene in Nigeria, 36-year-old Lateef Adedimeji has continued to “shine bright like a diamond”.
The Ogun State-born actor has to his credit many lead roles in movies including nominations and awards for incredible display of talent in the movies he has featured.
In 2021, he acted the lead character, in the movie Ayinla, which was a biopic of Ayinla Omowura, popular Apala musician who ruled the music world in the 1970s.
It was no surprising therefore that when Director, Seun Oloketuyi, conceived the idea of a film x-raying the life of former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, titled ‘Last Man Standing’, the first name on his mind was Adedimeji.
Adedimeji who has featured in five biopics already, in a chat with The Nation, said he believed it’s his ability to “key into people’s and bring the character to life” that has made him one of the most sought after for biopics in the Nollywood.
“I really don’t know why I am always called upon to play these roles. This is going to be my fourth biopic. I did Ayinla, I did Ige, I did Strangers, and now this. I believe it is the versatility and being able to key into other people and bring the character to life. That is you being an actor. Studying other people and making sure that you can drop you at a time you need to play them and bring them into reality,” he said.
The actor however said the Tinubu role would be a defining point in his career.
“Yes, this would be one of the defining points because this is a tough one. At the end of it all, the man himself is going to have a few things to say about my interpretation and pass judgment. That is one thing that has been ringing in my head.
“It is always scary. It is a different ball game if the person is no longer around. But this is somebody that is alive. Someone that can sit and watch you play him, and if you don’t get it right he will say so eventually. It is a lot of work. I had to be on Youtube studying his mannerism, the way he talks, the way he moves, smiles, and all of that and try to replicate that. It is you forgetting yourself totally for the duration of the shooting.
“At first, when I was told about the project, my first response was that I was not interested in playing the role. It is scary. Politics can be scary, and what came to my head was that this is politics, and it is something I am always scared of.
“Now, Asiwaju is not a mere politician, he is like a stakeholder, a man that has a lot going on around him, a lot of controversies happening all at the same time, and thinking that in the peak of all of these was when they wanted to put this out, I refused. But again, I know that it is going to be another stretch for me as an actor. I am taking this because I want to challenge myself again, I want to see how far I can push myself again,” Adedimeji added.
